#103: Where Are the Opportunities With Changing Algorithms?

Jan 15, 2020

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What should you do in a world of changing algorithms?

Should you be directing people back to your blog instead of your social media platforms? Can you adapt and adjust in the world of online business?

That’s what my friend Camile Whiting and I are talking about in today’s episode. Camile has a blog called Friday’s We’re In Love, where she documents the dates she goes on with her husband every Friday night.

We talk about how to stay nimble as an entrepreneur in an online world that is constantly changing. Camille has a unique perspective on how to be flexible and continue to test new things in her business.

How to Monetize a Blog

Camile has four main ways that she monetizes her blog:

Sponsored posts
Ad network
Affiliate links/product recommendations
Services and consulting

Right now, Camile is focused on growing her traffic.

A year ago, Camile was working hard on her Instagram. But after seeing how the platform was changing and not serving her as well as it could, she decided to be flexible and seek out other avenues.

Camile uses social media because it’s fun to her, but she is serious about her site and using it to grow traffic.

Shifting Toward Growth

Camile is not one of those people who wastes time whining about algorithm changes. As a matter of fact, as a user, she appreciates the algorithms and how they work to make her experience better.

The algorithm changes do act as a wake-up call for her business though. It serves as a reminder that nothing is constant. We, as bloggers, know that things change constantly.

So Camile asked herself a question: With social media changing all the time, what could she own that wouldn’t change? And the answer was email.

She’s had an email list for a couple of years but this year, she shifted toward more of an owner mentality. She realized the reach she has with her list; that her message is not limited in any way when she communicates with her email subscribers.

A Big Company Mindset

Camile believes in copying big companies’ strategies.

When she first started seeing blogs take off and make money from their readers, she also had the advantage of being in a group of Fortune 500 companies who were experimenting with their own websites and social platforms.

Camile got to watch these businesses spend millions of dollars just trying new things. That’s where she gets her experimental mindset.

What new things can you afford to try or implement?

Big companies go above and beyond to serve potential customers; they give away freebies, etc., before they try and make a sale.

Right now Camile is trying to continue growing her audience, as well as fortify the relationship she has with her current audience, so she can make more sales.

SEO Strategy

Camile has switched up her use of Google Analytics to find out what people want to read from her, not just what she wants to write for them.

In past years, Camile would only write about her passions, but people were looking for more than just date ideas.

Camile wrote more varied content, covering the topics her audience wanted to know about.

You will see more traffic when you give people what they want.

So you must be strategic when thinking about the topics you are going to write about.

See what content is already doing well, and create more content around that topic. And be sure to include links to the other posts you have on that topic so that Google will know that you have the information searchers are looking for.

Creating Content for Niche Topics

As Camile has shifted her focus from writing about whatever grabbed her attention, to writing the content that serves her audience, she has seen organic traffic growth.

You can write tons of content for very niche subjects. Take that big-picture subject and break it down into smaller pieces. And don’t feel like you’ve covered everything; there is always something else to say or another point of view to write from.

A previous guest on my show, Nate Woodbury, has a great way of thinking about creating content for niche topics.

He says that as you gain authority in small topics that all relate to each other, over time you gain overall authority in that topic.

Think of a tree as the topic as a whole. Then go leaf by leaf by leaf (smaller niche areas). Once you have a few leaves covered, begin to cover the trunk. Before you know it, you will have covered the entire tree.

Where are the opportunities for Bloggers

Camile attributes her success to being an early adaptor to new platforms.

Video is very important on all platforms this year. Camile has had to recognize and adapt to the fact that she needs to upload videos, as well as written content, in order to grow.

Camile sees her competitive advantage as finding ways to create content that’s not easily duplicated. If somebody can easily copy your style or your content, it’s time to up your game. That's why she's doing much more video.

Changing with Online Trends

When Camile learns a new skill or hops onto a new trend, she thinks about how that knowledge can serve her even if her business were to fail.

How she could adapt and move on to something else and succeed with what she’s learned?

Online entrepreneurs typically have more diverse knowledge and skills needed for their business than most people.

The more you learn, stay up to date on changes, and adapt to those changes, the bigger the competitive edge you are going to have.

What is your competitive edge? What skills have you learned in your online business that you could take to another opportunity if your online business failed today?

I’d love to hear from you on the things you’re learning. Are you an early adopter? Does fear hold you back from trying new things?

Come join me on Facebook on Mondays at 3 pm where I discuss the podcast and all my favorite takeaways.

TIMESTAMP

Intro
3:20 How Camile Built A business by Building Her Marriage
10:17 Monetizing a Blog
15:00 Shifting Toward Growth
17:36 A Big Company Mindset
22:57 SEO Strategy
27:40 Creating Content for Niche Topics
33:54 Opportunities for Bloggers
38:10 Changing with Online Trends

TOP 4 TAKEAWAYS

If you hate algorithm changes, look at them from the user’s point of view, and focus your attention on the things you can control, like your email list.
Be willing to experiment with new things and be an early adopter of new platforms.
Stop only writing the content you want to write and start writing what your audience wants to read.
Stay up to date on changes in the online world so that you continue to build skills that you can use in various ways and in various businesses.

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